The need to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in automobiles and other vehicles is well known. Therefore, vehicles are being developed that reduce or completely eliminate reliance on internal combustion engines. Electrified vehicles are one type of vehicle currently being developed for this purpose. In general, electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles in that they are selectively driven by one or more battery powered electric machines. Conventional motor vehicles, by contrast, rely exclusively on the internal combustion engine to drive the vehicle.
It is known to use an electric machine to decelerate an electrified vehicle. This is commonly referred to as regenerative braking. Regenerative braking can be achieved during braking or lift pedal conditions by configuring the electric machine as a generator. The act of generating power with the electric machine creates a negative braking torque, or regenerative torque, on the electric machine. The negative torque is transmitted to the drive wheels to slow the electrified vehicle.
An accelerator pedal can be calibrated to provide either more deceleration/regeneration or less deceleration/regeneration during lift pedal conditions. However, the ideal deceleration rate may change depending on specific driving events. For example, if a customer tips out (i.e., lifts foot off of accelerator pedal) when an oncoming object is relatively far away, the vehicle may slow too quickly requiring the driver to tip in (i.e., apply pressure to the accelerator pedal) to reach the oncoming object. Conversely, if the operator tips out when the object is relatively close, the vehicle may coast too much requiring the driver to apply the brakes to stop the vehicle.